Last June a new Lithuanian Roman-Catholic church was dedicated in Chicago. It is known as the All Saints' church, and is located on the corner of 108th Street and Michigan Avenue. Although the parishioners built the church with their own money; nevertheless, it does not belong to them. The Lithuanians of that community were familiar with the malicious conduct of priests. For that reason, while the church was being erected, they attempted to make legal arrangements in order that the control of the church property would not fall into the hands of the pastor, but would remain in the control of the parishioners. However they did not succeed.

In 1906, after the Lithuanian population of that community had increased to sufficient numbers, the St. Peter and St. Paul Society decided to 2organize a Lithuanian parish. This decision was soon approved by all other local Lithuanian organizations. After permission was granted by the bishop to organize the parish, the Lithuanians asked for a Lithuanian priest. Rev. S. B. Serapinas arrived and became the spiritual director of the Lithuanian colony. A parish committee was elected and began collecting money to buy lots on which to build a church. The Lithuanians were very generous with their donations. Rev. Serapinas was able to enjoy a very good living. Money poured into the parish treasury so fast that he purchased a complete set of expensive furniture for himself.

On Jan. 1, 1907, after delivering a sermon, Rev. Serapinas read a detailed financial statement of the parish. Printed copies of the statement were later distributed to the parishioners. When the parishioners noted that the priest spent five hundred dollars from the parish treasury for his furniture they became highly displeased. The parishioners then decided to take the 3parish money away from the priest and deposit it in a bank in the name of the parish committee. However, it was not easy to do that. During a parish meeting a committee of three was elected to confer with the priest on this matter. C.Klimas, Mr. Sankus, and Mr. Pulbikas composed the committee. When they met with the priest they discussed with him the five hundred dollars that he had spent for his furniture, but without any results. They then asked the priest to surrender the parish money. This so angered him that he called the members of the committee godless Socialists and refused to surrender the money.

Later, when the church building fund increased still more, the parishioners asked the bishop to have the charter of the church issued in the name of the St. Peter and St. Paul Society. The bishop agreed with this proposal. However, the pastor opposed it, saying that the parishioners desired to build 4the church, not in the name of the bishop, but in the name of the St. Peter and St. Paul Society. After this, Rev. Serapinas, together with Mr. Pulbikas and Mr. Klimas, purchased lots for the parish church in the name of the bishop of Chicago. The bishop made the parish charter in the name of the All Saints' Parish. For these acts the parishioners again became angry with the priest and the committee.

However, Rev. Serapinas succeeded in persuading his parishioners to listen to him. Now the parishioners have a church, but the pastor is the boss over it and not the parishioners. The Lithuanian organizations had expected to hold their meetings in the church hall without charge, but the pastor refuses to allow any organization to use the hall without the payment of a rental fee. Furthermore, the rental fee is unusually high.

If all the money which was expended for the church had been employed to erect a school, a library, and for the purchase of useful books, undoubtedly, after a few years at least some beneficial results to our people would be clearly visible.